SkyWest Vote

[JoeMerchant]

Are you suggesting then that the "brand scope" problem be fixed and then try to become the "hero?"

If my flying isn't at risk of being given to my fellow "brothers" for less, then I am more inclined to fight.....If it is at risk to be given to you or someone else, then I will do what is best for me....

I'm not going to fight for you when it may result in my job being given to you......

Why should I fight for to raise the bar when many of my fellow union members are willing to do my job for less..... Doesn't make any sense for me or for the Skywest pilots.....

Fix that problem, and the Skywest pilots will join ALPA.....Continue to ignore it, and they won't join and many of us will advocate dumping ALPA....The choice is ALPAs.........

 

[Nevets]

If my flying isn't at risk of being given to my fellow "brothers" for less, then I am more inclined to fight.....If it is at risk to be given to you or someone else, then I will do what is best for me....

I'm not going to fight for you when it may result in my job being given to you......

Why should I fight for to raise the bar when many of my fellow union members are willing to do my job for less..... Doesn't make any sense for me or for the Skywest pilots.....

Fix that problem, and the Skywest pilots will join ALPA.....Continue to ignore it, and they won't join and many of us will advocate dumping ALPA....The choice is ALPAs.........

Wouldn't it be easier to fix the problem from within? Why aren't you working to fix this problem?

 

[JoeMerchant]

Wouldn't it be easier to fix the problem from within? Why aren't you working to fix this problem?

I tried.....But the problem with ALPA is if you disagree with it, you are excluded from the process..... ALPA likes people who agree with it.....They hate people who disagree with it and question it's actions.....

ALPA won't fix it's problems until a gun is held to it's head....

 

[Nevets]

I tried.....But the problem with ALPA is if you disagree with it, you are excluded from the process..... ALPA likes people who agree with it.....They hate people who disagree with it and question it's actions.....

ALPA won't fix it's problems until a gun is held to it's head....

So you didn't bring your gun?:laugh:

 

[JoeMerchant]

So you didn't bring your gun?:laugh:

.....that will happen when ALPA starts losing membership and dues money......it's all about the money..... When the money start's to dry up, the behavior will change.....Much like management.....

 

[Rez O. Lewshun]

....ALPA can regain credibility if it can stop the competition within a brand..... until then it is is just a bunch of empty chest-thumping.....

Joe
(14 year ALPA member)

Joe, even though you tried at being an elected member of ALPA and failed misreably.... and are whittled down to posting on FI to "effect" change...

What do you suggest?

 

[Nightrain_080]

voted no for the .10 cent raise and yes for D.B.

 

[SkyNation]

Highest pay results in a target on the back.......

sadly no one seems to get it.

this is not a sprint, not even a marathon. It's all about continuing to run...and run and run.

I'd rather run in 2nd place, but continue to run, than run in 1st for a little while, then fall back, then fall out.

 

[Nevets]

sadly no one seems to get it.

this is not a sprint, not even a marathon. It's all about continuing to run...and run and run.

I'd rather run in 2nd place, but continue to run, than run in 1st for a little while, then fall back, then fall out.

How about running 1st AND winning?

 

[SkyNation]

like Comair did? like AWAC?

the tallest tree in the forest is the first to get cut down.

it's all about competing effectively and for the long term.

 

[Nevets]

like Comair did? like AWAC?

the tallest tree in the forest is the first to get cut down.

it's all about competing effectively and for the long term.

9/11, bankruptcies, people's lack of faith in the economy have all contributed to downward pressure. Pressure that has been mitigated by unions. But it works the other way around as well. When times are good, many pilot groups raise the bar.

As we know, this industry is cyclical. The only thing we can do is raise the bar when we have the leverage to do so and mitigate the downward pressure when we don't have that pressure. Currently, you are unable to do either.

 

[SkyNation]

Currently, you are unable to do either.

wow, then our situation must really suck to be in. every ALPA regional must be ahead of us in pay, QOL, future prospects, etc. after all, there is nothing we can do about anything, and management obtusely works only towards the bottom line.

yeah, this is not a good place to be.


(yawn)

 

[Nevets]

wow, then our situation must really suck to be in. every ALPA regional must be ahead of us in pay, QOL, future prospects, etc. after all, there is nothing we can do about anything, and management obtusely works only towards the bottom line.

yeah, this is not a good place to be.


(yawn)

My point is that with all your companies success, it should be better. You are unable to affect that.

 

[XPOO]

Nevets, SkyWest Management is a give and take management. They give you something, you give them something. You're saying the employees should take, take, take. When you borrow 10 bucks from somebody and never pay them back, and then go to borrow another 10 bucks....what's the usual response? Employee payroll directly affects the company's profit margin. By giving a little, the group actually gains more. When SkyWest can offer what you consider small raises, but the profit margin increases, its a double win for both groups. Its a fine line. Its the reason you are a pilot, I'm a dispatcher, and they actually run the financials of the company. As long as every employee is doing the job they were hired to do, they will be justly compensated, and there will be no ceiling for how high SkyWest can go.

 

[FlySacto]

Nevets, SkyWest Management is a give and take management. They give you something, you give them something. You're saying the employees should take, take, take. When you borrow 10 bucks from somebody and never pay them back, and then go to borrow another 10 bucks....what's the usual response? Employee payroll directly affects the company's profit margin. By giving a little, the group actually gains more. When SkyWest can offer what you consider small raises, but the profit margin increases, its a double win for both groups. Its a fine line. Its the reason you are a pilot, I'm a dispatcher, and they actually run the financials of the company. As long as every employee is doing the job they were hired to do, they will be justly compensated, and there will be no ceiling for how high SkyWest can go.

I just about shat myself reading this. I must be brain numb from a defered prop sync. Now I really feel retarded that I haven't seen this all along ...

 

[Nevets]

Nevets, SkyWest Management is a give and take management. They give you something, you give them something. You're saying the employees should take, take, take. When you borrow 10 bucks from somebody and never pay them back, and then go to borrow another 10 bucks....what's the usual response? Employee payroll directly affects the company's profit margin. By giving a little, the group actually gains more. When SkyWest can offer what you consider small raises, but the profit margin increases, its a double win for both groups. Its a fine line. Its the reason you are a pilot, I'm a dispatcher, and they actually run the financials of the company. As long as every employee is doing the job they were hired to do, they will be justly compensated, and there will be no ceiling for how high SkyWest can go.

Of course its a give and take relationship. But your management just takes. The pilots actually lose buying power every year they get a 1% COLA. What does management get paid? What are their raises every year? Do they get more than 1%? Skywest has $750 MILLION just sitting in a bank and making almost $150 MILLION a year! Yeah, the profit margin increases for the company without an adequate COLA! Skywest has THEE best ballance sheet probably of ANY US airline and they probably make more money year after year than any regional. Where is the give? They will "give" you the least amount possible. And there is nothing wrong with that. After all, that is part of their job. Without any leverage, employees have nothing to even the playing field.

The employees should not just "take take take." But they should be able to stop giving to management considering the financial success of the company. I'm not saying that employees should brake the bank. I'm just saying that Skywest should just share a little bit more with the employees.

 

[XPOO]

Just some rational thinking, and totally hypothetical, but let's ASSUME....

There are 11,000 employees. If Uncle Jerry gave each one of his employees an AVERAGE of $2,000 extra annually (which really isn't much of a raise, right?), that would cost the company $22,000,000 extra. $22M is 14% of the annual $150M currently coming in. These numbers DO add up.

 

[sweptback]

Just some rational thinking, and totally hypothetical, but let's ASSUME....

There are 11,000 employees. If Uncle Jerry gave each one of his employees an AVERAGE of $2,000 extra annually (which really isn't much of a raise, right?), that would cost the company $22,000,000 extra. $22M is 14% of the annual $150M currently coming in. These numbers DO add up.

Why don't you take a paycut so the company can make even more money? How is that any different?

 

[XPOO]

Brilliant...you first though.

 

[Nevets]

Just some rational thinking, and totally hypothetical, but let's ASSUME....

There are 11,000 employees. If Uncle Jerry gave each one of his employees an AVERAGE of $2,000 extra annually (which really isn't much of a raise, right?), that would cost the company $22,000,000 extra. $22M is 14% of the annual $150M currently coming in. These numbers DO add up.

"The cost per ASM of salaries, wages and employee benefits decreased to 3.3¢ for the year ended December 31, 2006, compared to 3.4¢ for the year ended December 31, 2005. The average number of full-time equivalent employees increased 8.6% to 14,450 for the year ended December 31, 2006 from 13,304 for the year ended December 31, 2005. The increase in number of employees was primarily due to the addition

37 ​

of personnel required for the new regional jet flying and due to the addition of personnel required for new cities added to our ground handling service contracts."
http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/793733/000110465907015112/a07-5838_110k.htm


Like I said, in essence, you are taking a pay cut. Anyways, I was speaking mainly about pilots. There are only 3,000 of them.

 

[Nightrain_080]

Just some rational thinking, and totally hypothetical, but let's ASSUME....

There are 11,000 employees. If Uncle Jerry gave each one of his employees an AVERAGE of $2,000 extra annually (which really isn't much of a raise, right?), that would cost the company $22,000,000 extra. $22M is 14% of the annual $150M currently coming in. These numbers DO add up.

How many days off a week does a dispatcher have per week? 2 or 3?

say you have 3 days off a week....would you be willing give up an extra day per week for the rest of your career as a dispatcher to 2 days off a week for nothing in return?

I am assuming no.

:nuts:
No bonass check is worth giving up hundreds of days off per year and drowning the pilot morale even lower than it already is. Yes we know Jerry wants a new housboat.

 

[Missed Approach]

Of course Jerry has fiduciary duties to make the shareholders as much money as possible, however he understands he will make more money if he treats his employees equitably.

Operators like Mesa, who are clearly only concerned for their share holders, will continue to treat their employees with disdain, run short staffed, and pay as little as possible to keep classes filled. Because employees have no vested interest in the success of the company, and no reason to be loyal, they will understandably punish the company for treating them this way with by "flying safe", participating in cell phone bans, and using high amounts of fuel. This leads to dissatisfied customers and code-share partners, and in turn poor company financial performance.

Companies like Southwest make their employees' QOL a priority. This ensures that the customer is taken care of, and in turn results increases the value of shareholder wealth.

Skywest certainly not Southwest, but having flown for both Mesa and Skywest, I can say that Skywest is much closer to Southwest's model (1. employees 2. customers 3. shareholders) then the Mesa's (1. shareholders 2. customers 3. employees).

[FONT='Calibri','sans-serif']...and yes, the Kool-aide tastes great. [/FONT]

 

[SKYWRJGUY]

In essence a pay cut because cost per ASM went down? Good inference. That cost could go down due to (1) decreasing salary and benefits + steady ASM, (2) steady salary and benefits + rising ASM, or (3) rising salary and beneift but rising slower than ASM. You need to learn how to read that particular financial statement...

 

[JoeMerchant]

In essence a pay cut because cost per ASM went down? Good inference. That cost could go down due to (1) decreasing salary and benefits + steady ASM, (2) steady salary and benefits + rising ASM, or (3) rising salary and beneift but rising slower than ASM. You need to learn how to read that particular financial statement...

Exactly.....CHQ has a lower cost per ASM than CMR......but pays more......Longevity has a lot to do with it......

 

[Nevets]

Of course Jerry has fiduciary duties to make the shareholders as much money as possible, however he understands he will make more money if he treats his employees equitably.

Operators like Mesa, who are clearly only concerned for their share holders, will continue to treat their employees with disdain, run short staffed, and pay as little as possible to keep classes filled. Because employees have no vested interest in the success of the company, and no reason to be loyal, they will understandably punish the company for treating them this way with by "flying safe", participating in cell phone bans, and using high amounts of fuel. This leads to dissatisfied customers and code-share partners, and in turn poor company financial performance.

Companies like Southwest make their employees' QOL a priority. This ensures that the customer is taken care of, and in turn results increases the value of shareholder wealth.

Skywest certainly not Southwest, but having flown for both Mesa and Skywest, I can say that Skywest is much closer to Southwest's model (1. employees 2. customers 3. shareholders) then the Mesa's (1. shareholders 2. customers 3. employees).

[FONT='Calibri','sans-serif']...and yes, the Kool-aide tastes great. [/font]

Yet SWA pilots are unionized. Do you think that they would be paid as much if they weren't and if they were not as successful as Skywest?

 

[Nevets]

In essence a pay cut because cost per ASM went down? Good inference. That cost could go down due to (1) decreasing salary and benefits + steady ASM, (2) steady salary and benefits + rising ASM, or (3) rising salary and beneift but rising slower than ASM. You need to learn how to read that particular financial statement...

"Our total ASMs generated during the year ended December 31, 2006 increased 58.9% from the year ended December 31, 2005"
http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/793733/000110465907015112/a07-5838_110k.htm

(3)ASM increased 58.9%, salaries, wages and employee benefits increased 55.2%.

 

[joe_pilot]

Thanks to everyone who voted.

I respect that. At least you voted.

I just wish more than 706 of you had voted "No".

(here come the flamers...)

 

[ArcticFlier]

To answer the question posed originally:
Voted no.
Voted for DB.

 

[SSDD]

Voted NO

Voted for DB

 

[Dubya]

Voted for Fruit Punch

Wrote in JA